Though posted to only one poem link-up, this one was prompted by two. Poets & Storytellers United suggested poems that ask "Why...?" DVerse suggested poems that invite the reader into a collective. In this case the collective is everyone in cyberspace, although, if I owned Twitter, I would just block countries that don't have freedom of speech as a constitutional right. (And I'd use some of that wealth to encourage Congress to form a Committee on Un-American Activities to encourage anybody in the United States who wants censorship to move to one of those countries--well, out of this one, anyway.)
Why don't we all boycott Twitter?
They've chosen the well-paved road.
They've promised the big corporations
To connect no lone personal node.
Seeking last-chance communications
With a hurricane zone, we will see
Twitter break every link between personal friends
To show us what we'd find on TV.
If we wanted TV we'd be watching.
So let's drop Twitter's views like a ball.
Tell Musk, without untrammelled freedom of reach,
His web site is no use at all.
We've all seen in Twitter's new contract,
What's not product-supportive won't show.
Musk is saddled by Bayer and Lilly and Merck
Who are all screaming, "Gallop, boy! Go!"
Let them ride him down into bankruptcy.
His pal Trump's there to tell how it's done.
Though Musk may go bankrupt while still being rich
Let him see that the free market's won.
Before human lives Musk has put money.
Who'd support such coruption as that?
All who've been hurt by profitable products
Gather round just to watch Musk fall flat!
Love your humour Had to laugh at "Gallop, boy! Go!" and how he can learn from Trump how to do bankruptcy lol. I never used Twitter so don't know what is all going on. I don't trust social media in general for news. It's too subjective and as you said commercial. I think Musk is a guy who uses Twitter or X to promote his views anyway. We in NZ have to pay USD 1 to join. Far too expensive for this haha
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Well, when Twitter worked at least in the US, the key was to choose what you read. I started by following newspapers to which I couldn't subscribe, for the news headlines. As Twitter grew I added e-friends and followed them for updates on their lives and work. But New Twitter's algorithm lets only a handful of e-friends' updates trickle in among commercial tweets, and meanwhile, as the newspapers have joined a European group and pledged to censor the news, I don't even care what they print as headlines any more...
DeleteThat was a fun read! Regarding Musk, and others, I think there is much truth in the sayings that ‘money is power’ and ‘power corrupts.’
ReplyDeleteI was on Twitter in its earliest days; it was great then! But I left it long ago; as it got more users it changed too much for me.
D
(Don’t know what that D is doing there! My arthritic fingers do strange things (so does technology).
DeleteOh, mine too. At least you saw the extra D; on a screen I often overlook such things! Sensible to leave Twitter. I have a few obligations to use it for a few mostly automated things, but no more "Twitterdays" for me.
DeleteChanging it's name and charging a fee might work, we will see.
ReplyDelete..
Work to destroy it. The idea is that free users are no longer able to exchange messages, and since Twitter's redeeming social value was instant communication in cases of emergencies...
DeleteLove a fun read with serious undertones! LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouraging words, Jinksy! (Do you know whether Jabblog used to be Jabo on Bubblews?)
DeleteHank is not a twitter guy. Been a few months before but no more. But love your treatment of the write-up all spiced up with humour. Wonderful write, Priscilla. Ma'am!
ReplyDeleteHank
Thank you very much, Hank, Sir!
DeleteThe perfect treatise on Musk/Twitter/X ......
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThere's enough fake news across all social media platforms and their algorithms create information bubbles that will always be skewed - one way or the other. We just need to be super careful and choose our sources with care. Which just creates more bubbles. :) :)
ReplyDeleteYes...I've always been all about reading both sides, but it's extremely difficult to read anything that's on the side of censorship.
DeleteThank you for visiting, poets all. Other visitors may not know...everyone whose comments appeared above this one wrote a poem in response to at least one of the same prompts.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why I have never been on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteA rant with humor; I love it!